Identifying Talent

Identifying, developing and retaining talent within the workforce is essential for the success of your business, particularly at a time when employees are more transient than ever.

The type of employee you require will rely on having a firm understanding of where your business is heading. By identifying high performance and high potential you have a better chance of a successful and balanced workforce.

Many employers focus on high performance i.e. the skills and experience to take on the current workload. Perhaps this shouldn’t necessarily be the only entry point. What is sometimes missed are high potential candidates, trickier to identify, harder to assimilate and more challenging to manage. Why? Because they have the attributes and values without the necessary skills and experience, but we think it’s worth an investment.

Let me tell you a story. Some years ago Team GB recognised they needed to change their approach to identifying talent. A good example is the British Rowing Team who traditionally selected from rowing clubs up and down the country. This didn’t bring them much success. They realised it wasn’t rowers they required but people who had the potential to be rowing champions. They identified the blueprint of an Olympic rowing champion, power; physical build, athletic application, psychological approach, and a determination to develop themselves into rowers. These candidates didn’t just want to win a medal, they wanted to be on going Olympic champions. Helen Glover progressed at an astonishing rate from someone who had never rowed before to an Olympic Champion, who continued to achieve throughout her career.

It is these candidates, who show adaptability, focus, organisation and self- improvement that will add value to the long-term future success of your company.

If you are interested in achieving this mix of skills and experience for the benefit of your business, it might really help to bring in a consultant that can advise on a talent identifying strategy. Contact me for further details.